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This book challenges the usual introductions to the study of law. It argues that law is inherently political and reflects the interests of the few even while presenting itself as neutral.

The clarity of the arguments are admirably suited to provoking discussions of the role of law in our contemporary world. This fourth edition is fully revised and updated to provide an ideal resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students reading law.

This new edition provides contemporary examples to sustain the arguments in their relevance to the twenty-first century. The book includes an analysis of the common sense of law; the use of anthropological examples to gain external perspectives of our use and understanding of law; a consideration of central legal concepts, such as order, rules, property, dispute resolution, legitimation and the rule of law; an examination of the role of law in women's subordination and finally a critique of the effect of our understanding of law upon the wider world.

This book is ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate students reading law, and will be of interest to those studying legal systems and skills courses, jurisprudence courses, and law and society.